PNNL

Abstract

Single-pass flow-through (SPFT) experiments were conducted with aluminoborosilicate waste glasses to evaluate how changes in solution composition affect the dissolution rate (r) at 40°C and pH(23°C) = 9.0. The three prototypic low-activity waste (LAW) glasses; LAWE-1A, -95A, and -290A, used in these experiments span a wide range covering the expected processing composition of candidate immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) glasses. Results suggest incongruent release of Al, B, Na, and Si at low flow-rate (q) to sample surface area (S) [log10 (q/S) -7.9 (m s-1)]. Dissolution rates increase from log10 (q/S) ˜ -9.3 to -8.0 (m s-1) and then become constant at log10 (q/S) > -7.9 (m s-1). Forward (maximum) dissolution rates, based on B release, are the same irrespective of glass composition, evident by the dissolution rates being within the experimental error of one another (r1A = 0.0301 ±0.0153 g m-2 d-1, r95A = 0.0248 ±0.0125 g m-2 d-1, and r290A = 0.0389 ±0.0197 g m-2 d-1). Finally these results support the use of a chemical affinity based rate law to describe glass dissolution as a function of solution composition.